Albania, 1998

Allow me first, Sir, to

congratulate you on your election as President of the

General Assembly at its fifty-third session. I am sure that

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your leadership constitutes a guarantee of continued

success.

At the same time, I would like to express my

appreciation to your predecessor, Mr. Udovenko, for his

excellent leadership during the fifty-second session.

It is a special pleasure for me to address the Assembly

in this session, which coincides with the fiftieth anniversary

of the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights.

Although decades have passed, this document remains

profoundly relevant to our world today. In fact, its

standards continue to be an essential guide for evaluating

the development and emancipation of human society. The

Member countries of the United Nations should be proud of

this document’s lasting legacy.

While affirming the ongoing importance of the

Declaration, I would like to stress the need for the UN’s

system of values to undergo an ongoing harmonization with

new challenges. In this framework, on behalf of the

Government of Albania, I commend the efforts made under

the leadership of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, in

the process of reform of our Organization. We hail the

positive results achieved so far, and encourage the United

Nations to continue to respond concretely to the challenges

of the twenty-first century.

Nearly three weeks ago Albania once again attracted

the attention of the United Nations due to the violent events

aimed at striking a blow against the fragile democratic

institutions that were under the process of restoration from

the deep crisis my country passed through last year. Certain

political forces that lost their power in last year’s free

elections obviously encouraged the attack and occupation of

the main State institutions.

That attempt to overthrow violently the legitimate

Albanian Government was condemned by the whole

democratic world, which strongly supported the President

of the Republic in his endeavour to reestablish the political

equilibrium that had been deeply disturbed and to guarantee

the normal and democratic functioning of State powers and

institutions. We highly appreciate this, and thank the

international community for the support offered to Albania

during its difficult days, and we welcome the establishment

of the group of Friends of Albania. We view this as an

important instrument in our common efforts for the stability

of Albania and the consolidation of State structures and

institutions.

We are conscious of the difficulties and negative

phenomena with which we are coping. We are painfully

aware that the civilian population of Albania continues to

be considered the most armed in Europe. This is a reality

which we have to face every moment. Taking into

account the threat that this poses not only to Albania but

also to the security of the region, our Government has

appealed the United Nations for assistance in this regard.

Allow me on this occasion to thank the Secretary-General

for the seriousness with which he has dealt with this

problem, and the Under-Secretary-General for

Disarmament Affairs, Mr. Dhanapala, for the mission he

led to Albania. I want to express our readiness to work

together with the United Nations to collect the weapons

which fell into the hands of the civilian population during

the political unrest of 1997.

I want to state that my Government is working

diligently to establish the long-term rule of law in our

country. Through lengthy deliberations among Albania’s

political forces, we have made an extensive endeavour to

draft a constitution that recognizes the need to share

political power and to secure human rights. It is my

sincere hope that by the end of this year the Albanian

people will be able to express their views on the proposed

draft constitution. The adoption of a constitution ratified

by the people of Albania that recognizes the fundamental

rule of law and protects liberties will prepare Albania for

complete integration into international structures. Most

important, this path offers the best and brightest hope for

our country.

I want also to address Albania’s economic situation.

Rebuilding the economy has been the highest of priorities

for the Albanian Government, especially since the fall of

the pyramid schemes which led to widespread micro- and

macroeconomic collapse and to the impoverishment of

many Albanians. Our response to this crisis was direct

and decisive: in exposing the deceit of the pyramid

schemes, in closing down the pyramid structures and in

rebuilding trust in the Albanian economy. In cooperation

with the International Monetary Fund and the World

Bank, the assets of those firms were audited, and we

initiated the process of returning liquid assets to

legitimate creditors. Now I can declare with conviction

that pyramid-scheme-based businesses do not exist in our

country any more. We are working at present to create

new, active policies for employment, self-employment and

professional training.

The task of rebuilding Albania’s economy constitutes

a great challenge that requires the support of the

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international community. The Government has worked

diligently to break down Albania’s decades of isolationism

and to become part of the world community of nations. The

main directions of our policy so far have been the

following.

First, the engagement of Albania in Euro-Atlantic

integration is aimed at the creation of acceptable national

standards in accordance with the common Euro-Atlantic

values of common security, human rights standards, and the

promotion of the liberal market-economy policies.

Secondly, Albania’s cooperation with the North

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has also had concrete

results, expressed in successful cooperation, in the

framework of the Partnership for Peace, on the qualification

of the Albanian army and police. The first Albanian

company of peacekeepers has in fact made tangible

progress in that direction.

And thirdly, our cooperation with the European Union,

the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security

and Cooperation in Europe has been further strengthened.

It includes their assistance not only in the shaping and

improvement of Albanian legislation, but also in monitoring

the application of common standards. I take this opportunity

to thank those institutions for their assistance and to express

once again the willingness and the political commitment of

our Government to raise the quality of this cooperation in

the future.

Albania’s cooperation with the European Union in the

economic area remains a basis for multilateral cooperation.

We consider membership in the World Trade Organization

to be vital in furthering the liberalization of Albanian

trading markets. In the meantime, we have strengthened our

relations with international financial institutions, which have

committed major financial resources to the economic

development of Albania.

On this occasion, please allow me to express my

gratitude for the approval of the first United Nations

Development Programme country cooperation framework

for Albania, and my desire for the further strengthening of

cooperation between Albania and the United Nations

system. Albania now has serious and powerful partners for

the development of our country. The Rome and Brussels

conferences will be followed by another follow-up

conference in Tirana, at which we will assess our progress

and make new commitments for the future.

Turning to matters of international policy, the

Albanian Government has devoted much effort to regional

concerns. Southeastern Europe has inherited a series of

problems which are the political, economic, social,

psychological and institutional legacy of the communist

era. However, we are deeply convinced that there are

ways and means to build up confidence, cooperation and

friendship among the Balkan nations. Albania has

embraced enthusiastically all the initiatives which

cultivate peace and cooperation in southeastern Europe,

such as the Central European Initiative, the Black Sea

Economic Cooperation process, the South-East European

Cooperative Initiative, the Royaumont Platform for Action

and the process of Balkan cooperation. All these

initiatives will contribute to transparency of borders, free

movement of goods, people and opinions among the

countries of the region, and the setting up of common

values on trade, transport, energy, telecommunication and

the environment that will lay down the infrastructure for

stability and peace in the region.

Towards this goal, we have worked on substantially

improving bilateral relations with our neighbours.

Significant steps were taken last year concerning relations

with Italy, Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia, on which a great number of cooperative

agreements were signed. Close partnership relations have

developed with Turkey, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania,

Slovenia, et cetera.

Although I am underlining these positive and

encouraging aspects of regional cooperation in general,

and especially of Albania’s relations with its neighbours,

we cannot ignore the fact that in the Balkans there still

exist enclaves where fundamental human and national

rights and freedoms, including the right to life, are

brutally violated every day. I am, of course, referring here

to the problem of Kosovo.

I would like to confirm the conviction of the

Albanian Government that during the past months of the

Kosovo crisis, Belgrade has ignored the appeals of the

international community to find an appropriate solution to

that situation, and has systematically destroyed the

alternative of a peaceful solution, thus encouraging the

option of violence. Some days ago, the Security Council

adopted its resolution 1199 (1998), attributing the main

responsibility and blame for what is happening in Kosovo

to the authorities in Belgrade. That resolution testified to

unanimous political will on the part of the international

community to act strongly to find a peaceful, political

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solution to the conflict, and left open the option of using

other means if failure is repeated.

We hope that this time the clear warning given by

Security Council resolution 1199 (1998), the Council’s

strong message issued yesterday and the warnings given by

the NATO and world leaders, will be the last ones

necessary to impose a political solution on the authorities

in Belgrade, something which they cannot realize by

themselves of their own will.

The political archives of Belgrade are quite rich with

false manoeuvres and untrue statements. The so-called

withdrawal of special Serbian police forces from Kosovo

and the end of fighting against so-called terrorists is a new

version of them. This is an old scenario of a Bosnian type,

and we Albanians have ample reasons not to believe it.

What is happening today in Kosovo is the story of a

tragedy foretold. Milosevic´ has in fact ordered the

implementation of his “ethnic cleansing” policy against

Albanians under the pretext of combating so-called

Albanian terrorism. This has so far proved to be a constant

element of his strategy. In that way, Serbian propaganda

has been trying to justify the indiscriminate attacks,

massacres and atrocities of the Yugoslav army against the

Albanian population of Kosovo, such as the ones seen

lately in the media. Newborn children, pregnant women and

elderly persons have been massacred in a bestial way. The

Albanian Government strongly condemns this policy and

openly declares that Milosevic´ should be held accountable

and responsible for genocide.

The Albanian Government urges the following. First,

there should be strong and extensive international

monitoring and assisting presence in Kosovo. The nature of

this presence should be in accordance with the

developments in the situation there. Secondly, there should

be an immediate NATO military intervention for peace

enforcement in Kosovo, as peaceful measures applied by

the international community have so far failed. Thirdly, the

Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the

Former Yugoslavia should start an investigation in

accordance with her mandate in order to indict Milosevic´ as

a war criminal.

The current conflict in Kosovo, as rightly pointed out

in the resolutions and presidential statement of the Security

Council, may have a strong spillover danger. The

neighbouring countries are directly affected not only by the

wave of refugees, but also by its impact on the ethnic and

political relations inside these countries. We have already

been witness to these effects.

Albania has made its position quite clear. We are in

favour of an immediate end to the conflict and the

initiation of negotiations between Belgrade and Priština

with the international involvement of a third party. This

would guarantee their success. The negotiations should

define the future status of Kosovo. The Albanian

Government strongly believes that any solution to the

Kosovo crisis should take into consideration and respect

the will of its inhabitants for self-determination in

accordance with the relevant international conventions.

Humanitarian problems have always been the focus

of attention of our Organization, which has also gained

valuable experience on how to deal with them. I would

like to draw the Assembly’s attention to one the most

acute developments which has already been the object of

attention in United Nations bodies. Thousands of Kosovo

Albanians — women, old people and children — have

left their country and have gone as refugees to Albania,

Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia. Hundreds of thousands of others are now

homeless, driven to wander in the forests and mountains

of Kosovo, constantly facing terror and death; and it is

now almost winter.

In spite of the known difficulties, the Albanian

Government has taken all possible measures to cope with

the difficult situation which was created as a result of the

influx of Kosovo refugees in northern Albania. Albania,

in cooperation with specialized agencies, has actually

created suitable conditions to face the urgent need for

food and temporary shelter. We appeal to these agencies

to continue their assistance until this refugee crisis is

resolved and Albanians can safely return to their homes.

We are convinced that the United Nations and the

Security Council will fulfil their responsibilities in

accordance with the United Nations Charter in the efforts

to overcome the Kosovo crisis, which in fact has become

a crisis of the Balkans and Europe. It is high time the

United Nations and other international forums urgently

intervened for the restoration of peace; otherwise we risk

having a wider conflict.

On this occasion, I would like to thank the Security

Council once again for the adoption of resolution 1199

(1998) and to commend in particular the initiators of that

resolution, which constitutes an essential step in bringing

peace to Kosovo and stability to the region.

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Albania, like many other countries, is being affected

by a set of phenomena such as drugs, illegal trafficking and

organized crime. The Albanian Government has taken

determined measures and is predisposed to cooperate with

other countries to fight against these social scourges. We

held a special session of the General Assembly this year

devoted to the fight against drugs, as well as an open

debate in the Security Council on children in armed

conflicts. These efforts testify to the special attention paid

to these social problems, and our Government hails them.

We appreciate the debate held by the Security Council

on Africa, the System-wide Special Initiative on Africa and

the engagement of the United Nations system for peace and

development in Africa, a continent with incredible natural

and human potentials.

My country also desires a peaceful solution to the

conflict in the Middle East and the restarting of the

dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, in conformity

with the relevant international agreements and resolutions

of Security Council.

We believe that the international community has often

acted insufficiently in punishing the perpetrators of and the

people politically responsible for crimes against mankind.

Consequently, we appreciate the efforts made by the United

Nations for the establishment of an International Criminal

Court, and we consider this a process of strengthening the

conscience of the international community, as well as a step

forward in creating a collective positive reaction against

such crimes.

The Albanian Government is of the opinion that the

institutional reform of the United Nations is an ongoing

process which is affected by the ever changing real world.

The United Nations will be better able to face the new

challenges of the new millennium if the intergovernmental

institutions of the United Nations become even more

democratic in their structure.

One key area of such reform is the Security Council.

Albania follows attentively the proceedings of the Working

Group for the restructuring of the Security Council and the

efforts made to find a solution to this question. We are of

the opinion that any decision to reform the Security Council

should have the widespread support of member countries

and must take into account the new realities that are

occurring in international relations.

The reform of United Nations, and especially of the

Security Council, will be a reality only if there is a general

will to provide the United Nations with the necessary

political support. Only then will this Organization lead

our world to the common goal of the creation of a global

society of sovereign nations based on the rule of law,

respect for human rights, personal and religious liberties,

economic prosperity and international peace.